This is a continuation of sorts. You can find the first post as the very first entry on the Jag/Jaina November challenge thread....[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22306438&brd=10477&start=22316557]HERE[/link].

If you are apathetic, and don't feel like hitting the link to see the first post...no biggie; I'll give you a fill-in. This post takes place during the Chiss/Killik war. The Jedi participated in the opening altercations, and there were repercussions on the Fel household, as Jag had vouched on their behalf. I won't get any more detailed than that, or I would be drifting into spoiler territory, and the black highlighting reminds me of the blotches they used to put across the naughty parts of magazine covers so you couldn't see the important stuff...

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[image=http://images12.fotki.com/v254/photos/4/43264/149887/fuifinal-vi.jpg]Title: The FOOL & the USEFUL IDIOT Author(s): Trepidation Timeframe: Speculative on The Swarm War Characters: J/J/Z H/L The Fel?s, etc?Genre: Angst, tension, adventure, romance, humorKeywords: Killik, Jedi, Fel, Fool, Chiss, NuruodoSummary: A man who follows his heart at the expense of all else is a ?fool.? A woman who compromises her own identity in pursuit of justice she can no longer define, is a ?useful idiot.? In the backdrop of the Swarm War it remains to be seen as to whether blind allegiance to others will be the undoing of themselves, and all that they used to cherish.Notes: Updated more frequently than the burger count on the McDonald?s sign

?Colonel.? Jaina said as a greeting while walking towards the perfectly still silhouette of Jagged Fel. She had resigned herself to never seeing him again. He had made that abundantly clear those many weeks ago in the conference room on board the Chiss flagship, Reliant.

But, here he was, out of the blue, turning up on Vek?Mor in the midst of a battle lull. How he had found her she had no idea.

He seemed to be evaluating his surroundings from her angle. In truth, he was collecting his wits that had been jostled by the enormous presence of assassin bugs and various breeds of others drumming noisily as if in an effort to buoy confidence and spirit to their collective.

Jag turned to the voice and saw the scruffy tag-along Jedi right at her shoulder. The very sight raised the fortitude for what he was there to say. He felt the rise of his blood pushing him forward.

?Lose him.? He said while pointing to Zekk. ?This conversation is only between us.?

?You can trust us.? Jaina said without offering an expression or deciphering tone.

?I do not care if I can trust him or not.? Jag responded. ?What I have to say has nothing to do with him.?

?If you are here to speak with us?.?

??then it has everything to do with us.? Zekk finished.

Jag shook his head. ?No.? He simply responded. ?Had I come to talk to Jedi Zekk, I would be asking the same of you, Jaina.?

?I am no longer a Colonel.? He said while staring down the shaggy Jedi at her side. ?I have been relieved of duty and, at this moment, my father is incarcerated on Csilla in wait of trial on sedition. Had I not departed my home expeditiously, I would be rotting in a similar cell.?

?We don?t see how??

??that concerns us.? Zekk finished.

Jag nodded and then morphed into a resigning shake of his head. ?No, I do not suppose that you would.? He said while boring his eyes into Jaina. ?That would require you to evaluate based on your personal ideology, and not the collective meddling of others.?

?Get to the point Jag??

??so that we can return to our preparations.? There was impatience and annoyance in both tones.

Jag stared for a long moment between the two while collecting his thoughts before turning fully to Jaina.

I hope that Jag has broken some of Jaina's brainless connection to the hive... That he burned that fire inside of her because other way he lost everything.

Poor Fel family Jag must really feel terrible inside because his feelings for Jaina are responsible for all those problems

Is this a one-post story or will there be more post soon ()

I hadn't considered doing any follow-up on the original post on the other thread...but your request had wings...I might add a couple more if I have time. I'll be starting up "TRIAD" before the week is out, and my spare time has been used to put together a rather unique Dramitis Personae. It will be in a Window Media Player format with Paint Shop Pro images to show the changes in the characters over the last five years...since [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/21154272/p1]Dark Diplomacy[/link].

Of course, if you are ambitious, I'll hand over the keys and let you run with this one...Let me know in a "PM" if you're interested...Thanks for reading, and the compliments.
Cheers,
Trep

Trep: great stuff. Superb read on Jag and Jaina, the Killiks and the kriffed-up situation... cracking dialogue, corking dramatic timing, and an innovative - if temporary - solution to Zekk.

Rather randomly, it strikes me that habing his dose bwoken like that will make him sound more like a droning bug, at least for a while - and perhaps Jaina will notice the gap between his voice and her own then, at least when they speak aloud...?

Great vig, Trep. I like Jag's brutal honesty here. And thanks for keeping Jaina true to her character in Dark Nest - she's exactly as I imagined her - mentally weakned to the point that she can't care for anyone else outside of the Nest.

Lovely follow-up. Go Jag for being honest with Jaina and for beating up Zekk. Nice to know someone wants to hold Jaina and her friends accountable for their actions. And if you would be so kind, please PM your story info to Jaina_Jag_Index so we can put it in our story database. Thanks

Trep, I never get as exited over the use of the word "I" as I do when I read drone Jaina saying it. And this is a Jag we don't often get to see, backed into a corner and disgraced. There was such a tiny bud of hope towards the end and it was nice to see it wasn't extinguished before the post was over. And I never thought of it before, but knocking Zekk unconcious might really be the best way to talk to Jaina alone.
Nice job.

Clarification: I'm not a "Zekk basher." Truth be told, I think his character gets a raw deal in most of the more recent novels in that they keep him pretty one-dimensional (almost simple-minded). Even the Dark Nest series short changes the character in that the personality is not necessarily his, and they do little to dig into his psyche.

I realize that we all have our favorite characters...and no one likes their favorite to be on the receiving end of a knee to the forehead. However, the overall flavor of this post was desperation of a career soldier who seems to have lost everything in his life that he held dear. He chose to confront the source...although in honesty, the one most desperate is in fact his own conquerer.

I didn't mean any offense to the story or even to Jag in the story. I'm very sorry if my words came out wrong.

Trepidation said:

I realize that we all have our favorite characters...and no one likes their favorite to be on the receiving end of a knee to the forehead.

That is, in fact, all I was trying to say: that I, being a Zekk fan, don't like seeing him beat up, but that it was necessary to the story, and I understand that. I wasn't implying that you were a Zekk basher, only that I don't like seeing Zekk literally get bashed up. Again, very sorry that I wasn't able to get that across.

And you conveyed Jag's desperation very, very well. I definitely look forward to seeing where this goes.

In defense of Jag's actions, I'd say that the reason he knocked out Zekk was to get to Jaina "alone" somehow in order to reach her. He had planned it after all. And perhaps after everything that's happened to him and his family, desperate times called for desperate measures. And Jag as always is very honorable, even prepared to provide for relief of the pain he was going to cause.

Jag never answered her, but she felt something deep inside that she used to feel when they were closer and in the cohesion of everyday battle together. It was not decipherable, or interpretive, but she recognized the essence.

Oddly, a slight smile emerged as she returned her attention to the injured Jedi before her.

We'll see you again, Jagged Fel. She committed deep inside in a place that the hive, or even Zekk, had yet to invade. The fool and a useful idiot.

I have to think that he reached her. I have hope.

I think the characterizations were done really well. Glad you gave us this continuation of the story. Thank you for that, Trep.

WOW. I like your Jag so much. Jaina needs to hear this from someone, and though Jag's not in a good place, he's definitely in a place where she might actually listen to him. It's such an interesting change to see Jag desperate and (witness me overuse this word) broken, but still absolutely committed and brave and--wow. Yay Jag.

(And, though I like Zekk, I did kind of enjoy seeing Jag kick him :\ Only because, man, that's got to be damn frustrating, having your ex's mindmeld-buddy hanging around all the time.)

I appreciate all the wonderful comments above. I will try to respond individually in the future... But, thank you with sincerity for your interest and your compliments...
Cheers,
Trep

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He hated the flying rock. When you spent more than three quarters of your life inside a state of the art fighter, transports took on the same quality as kissing your sister. He held nothing against Wynnsa at the thought. However, the routine rote act held no spark, and offered nothing other than what was expected. The Light-transport offered even less.

As the clumsy vessel swung around on repulsors to line up with a departure trajectory, the cockpit dipped allowing a clear view of the adjacent field through the forward viewer. Standing with both hands up and crossed stood Jaina. She was quite obviously attempting to acquire his attention.

He paused for a moment. This was not in the itinerary.

Coming to a reluctant decision, Jag flipped the communication bank relay to accommodate general traffic. He couldn?t help noticing that she had chosen that very moment to pull her commlink from her belt as if she had, somehow, been privy to his thoughts; or worse, influenced them.

?Jag??

?Yes, Jaina.? He was adamant about keeping all emotion out of his response. Even the shaky approach of Jedi Zekk from Jaina?s aft did not affect his tone.

?You said you will be making an effort to free your father.?

?I did.?

Jaina didn?t respond right away. Instead she turned to Zekk, who was now at her side. Her return to facing the hovering transport indicated she was ready to continue.

?You are referring to something other than the acceptable military legal channels, aren?t you?? She said with obvious concern in her words.

?He is as good as convicted?at my hand.? Jag said, still keeping any hint of emotion from betraying the impatience and discomfort he had held at that moment. ?Sedition carries a brutal sentence. The convicted is taken to Dac?tadatis Ice Gorge and stripped of all protection. Most freeze to death in a matter of hours. My father is stubborn. He would prolong the agony and the inevitable for as long as possible if for no other reason but spite of his accusers. My father would suffer greatly in the process. I will not allow that, or live to contemplate the pain I have brought on him. I am quite overwhelmed by the, mere, shame.?

?You are going to break him out.? It was not a question.

?I am going to try.? Jag responded while setting the auxiliaries and moving the light-transport so that Jaina would be out of the view port. Unfortunately, she was not out of mind.

?We will help.? Jaina replied without delay.

Jag knew it was coming, and had prepared himself for the words. Still, it was tempting to think that he would have her at his side if only temporarily. He needed every drop of his will to say his next words.

?No, Jaina.? He replied as the atmospheric thrusters started their cycle to initiation. ?Help yourself first. Even if you perceive no need to do so? help yourself.?

The sudden thud of the intake valves over whelmed the consistent droning hiss of the repulsors. Anticipating an emanate departure out of portable commlink range she spoke quickly.

?You will need help. He is likely to be well guarded, and you, yourself, are wanted.? She said in one breath as the engines thruster moved quickly to required levels. ?Allow us the opportunity to make some amends on what our involvement has cost your family.?

Jag took a deep breath. He did not relish what he would say next. However, he knew that he must, if preserving just a piece of his own integrity meant anything. He let his hand hover over the thruster levers to his right before flipping the commbank switch.

?Listen to me carefully, Jaina. It is important that you digest each of these words in their full and intended significance.? Jag took a deep breath. ?You cannot be tru